Hurling - IF we win the qualifier group we play Galway in quarter final. IF we finish second in qualifier group we play Laois. Prize here might be to finish second and get a chance for revenge against Laois.

Football. Longford again !! Winners to play Westmeath. Could be worse I suppose. Hopefully Pat Flanagan in his second year will keep us in division 3 and maybe we might finally get our first win in Leinster since 2007. Presumably Longford game will be away as we had them in Tullamore this year ??

You were right to emphasize IF there regarding the hurling. Think we need to try to beat everything in sight and let the chips fall. Must get out of the group at all costs.

In football, agree - could be worse. A chance to turn Longford over should provide motivation enough to keep people focused. Will not be an easy league campaign, but Pat's track record would indicate that we won't be a pushover for anyone in that group.

Looking forward to it.

Kevin Clancey. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Dates and venues announced for 2016, home to Longford in the football on the 15th of May, thought they would be away after hosting them in 2015, win and make the short distance to Cusack Park on the 12th June.

Regarding the hurling we have our only away game first to Westmeath which will probably determine who tops group, this is on 1st May, then play Carlow on the 7th and Kerry on the 22nd, if they progress they then play on the 5th June.

A pleasant surprise that the Longford one is at home. Though I believe the provision is that the next one will be in Longford.If Offaly finish in the top 2 of the hurling round robin, then we have home advantage in the Leinster quarters.

Interesting to see that Bosnia have not chosen to play there home tie v Ireland in Sarajevo, but rather Zenica, which is a smaller stadium but it's considered their spiritual home. The tight compact nature of the ground is said to make the atmosphere more intimidating for the opposition.For every poster who sniggers at those of us who want hurling to return to St. Brendan's park just look at the comparisons here.I don't believe capacity could be an issue for round robin games.Small grounds are easier to fill generating atmosphere.The town of birr would have a bit of a buzz about the day of a home game in the Leinster championship.

If the Leinster council could allow Louth to host a him fixture last year there should be no impediment to birr doing so. I also believe Offaly Gaa have a responsibility to try and benefit other parts of the county outside of Tullamore. The business people of Tullamore have done very well out of the development of O'Connor park with all the games or has attracted to the town. If I were in business in birr I would be very disappointed that my town now has no matches of consequence being played there. I wouldn't be to forthcoming with sponsorship if anyone came to my door.

Having said this I would hope that whatever venue these games were played in would not change the result of these particular matches, but I am of the firm opinion that in tight games which we may have in the league the so called home advantage we have is diluted in OCP in comparison to SBP , just like Bosnia!

'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

"Spiritual home", "atmosphere", "bit of a buzz".............all the ingredients to return Offaly hurling to top of the pile. You forgot the "bit of aul romance".

joe bloggs wrote: I also believe Offaly Gaa have a responsibility to try and benefit other parts of the county outside of Tullamore. The business people of Tullamore have done very well out of the development of O'Connor park with all the games or has attracted to the town.

This is a new one in fairness. The arguments for not playing our games in arguably the best medium sized facility in the country grow more and more bizarre.

Bracknaghboy, you ignored Bloggs' key point that in a tight game home advantage is diluted in OCP. Personally, I am a bit of an agnostic on the venue issue. I can see merit in both sides of the argument and I think there should be some senior intercounty games played in Birr.

I certainly don't see the point in ridiculing someone else's point of view just because you don't agree with it!

"Spiritual home", "atmosphere", "bit of a buzz".............all the ingredients to return Offaly hurling to top of the pile. You forgot the "bit of aul romance".

joe bloggs wrote: I also believe Offaly Gaa have a responsibility to try and benefit other parts of the county outside of Tullamore. The business people of Tullamore have done very well out of the development of O'Connor park with all the games or has attracted to the town.

This is a new one in fairness. The arguments for not playing our games in arguably the best medium sized facility in the country grow more and more bizarre.

Nothing bizarre at all in my economic argument. You fail to grasp the point that the Offaly Co. Board have cut off a revenue stream for some of the businesses' of birr. Therefore they in turn will be less likely to pony up sponsorship. There is also a case to be made for larger attendances generating increased revenue.When did you last set foot in birr? The work that has been completed there is a credit to everyone involved. The pitch too is no longer suffering with the drainage problems of the past from my perspective.OCP is a fantastic venue, and would want to be for the money spent on it, but the ground in Birr is more than adequate for league games, Co finals and even the round robin games. I am not saying to take everything out of Tullamore and back to Birr, but it is farcical the way the fixtures committee treated birr this year with not one Co Final even.

'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

joe bloggs wrote: The pitch too is no longer suffering with the drainage problems of the past from my perspective.

Sadly, there appear to be some outstanding issues in that regard still. An All Ireland club Camogie semi-final which was down to be played in Birr last Sunday was called off due to an unplayable pitch, on the same day when O'Connor Park, Lusmagh and O'Moore Park were all able to go ahead and host their games.

KEVIN you still haven't learnt your lesson have you? You still love putting up damaging reports regarding SBP topic without mentioning the facts. The camogie match was called off last Sunday because the Birr cub have agreed for Offaly senior hurlers to train there on the Saturday the day before the match. Thats what you get for trying to keep everyone happy i suppose and then you have people like you having smart digs...It was noting about the drainage, in fact the drainage is perfect in the field anybody would tell you that who does be down there regulary. The field was cut up quiet bad by Offaly the day before. On a separate point Offaly v Kilkenny in 2016 in the home of hurling what a draw for the people of Birr and all the other clubs who wants hurling brought home.

First of all, I don't love reporting anything of the sort. Once again, for the sake of emphasis, I have no objection to games being played in Birr and I think what's happening next year is a positive step, I just hate all this Tradition/heartland/home of hurling rubbish. Similarly, I would have been of the opinion that Birr needs to get all their problems sorted out first, and in fairness to the current committee, they are doing brilliant work in that regard. I deliberately didn't mention this instance in any form until somebody posted up to the effect that the field was now draining perfectly, which didn't exactly tally with the facts. And no, I wasn't aware that the Offaly hurlers trained there on Saturday - how would I know that, not being either directly involved with the panel or involved with Birr?

But even if I take your comment at face value, I'm still baffled - why in the name of jaysus would you host a county training session at this time of year the day before your ground is due to host an All Ireland club semi-final? Of course it's going to be cut up, what else was going to happen on a wet day in November?!?

Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.